Paper 1, Section II, F

Representation Theory
Part II, 2015

(a) Let GG be a finite group and let ρ:GGL2(C)\rho: G \rightarrow \mathrm{GL}_{2}(\mathbb{C}) be a representation of GG. Suppose that there are elements g,hg, h in GG such that the matrices ρ(g)\rho(g) and ρ(h)\rho(h) do not commute. Use Maschke's theorem to prove that ρ\rho is irreducible.

(b) Let nn be a positive integer. You are given that the dicyclic group

G4n=a,b:a2n=1,an=b2,b1ab=a1G_{4 n}=\left\langle a, b: a^{2 n}=1, a^{n}=b^{2}, b^{-1} a b=a^{-1}\right\rangle

has order 4n4 n.

(i) Show that if ϵ\epsilon is any (2n)(2 n) th root of unity in C\mathbb{C}, then there is a representation of G4nG_{4 n} over C\mathbb{C} which sends

a(ϵ00ϵ1),b(01ϵn0)a \mapsto\left(\begin{array}{cc} \epsilon & 0 \\ 0 & \epsilon^{-1} \end{array}\right), \quad b \mapsto\left(\begin{array}{cc} 0 & 1 \\ \epsilon^{n} & 0 \end{array}\right)

(ii) Find all the irreducible representations of G4nG_{4 n}.

(iii) Find the character table of G4nG_{4 n}.

[Hint: You may find it helpful to consider the cases nn odd and nn even separately.]